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Industrial companies are under growing pressure to be transparent about their greenhouse gas emissions. Customers, legislators, and investors are demanding proof of the environmental footprint, not only at the company level, but also for individual products and plants. The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) provides the basis for this. It describes the amount of greenhouse gas emissions a product causes over its life cycle, from production and transport to the customer to use and disposal. Knowing your PCF data, allows you to reduce emissions in a targeted manner, conserve resources, and remain competitive in the marketplace.
Until now, many companies have primarily recorded their Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF), i.e. the sum of the direct and indirect emissions generated by the activities of the entire company. However, this overall view does not show the specific climate impacts of individual facilities or machines. A growing number of customers are now demanding product-related emission values to achieve their own climate targets.
Determining PCF is particularly complex in special machine construction because industrial plants consist of numerous components, diverse materials, and global supply chains. Nevertheless, the PCF offers a valuable strategic tool to identify the impact on decarbonization, resource conservation, and the circular economy.
At the same time, new legal requirements are intensifying the pressure to act. Regulations such as the EU Taxonomy or the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) require precise and traceable emissions data along the entire value chain. As a result, energy-efficient and resource-saving machines are increasingly becoming a decisive competitive factor.
As a result, PCF is becoming increasingly relevant for strategic decisions including supplier selection, product development, and investment planning. It considers all relevant phases of the life cycle: production, transport, use and end of life. While real consumption data is usually available in production, use and disposal are modeled using realistic assumptions and empirical values. A clean database and the selection of reliable emission factors are crucial to obtain reliable results.
For comparability, the calculation should be based on uniform standards. Standards such as ISO 14067:2019 define clear framework conditions for this. Independent verification, for example by TÜV SÜD, also increases credibility.
In the future, automating data collection can simplify the process. Digital tools that gather material and process data directly from development or manufacturing systems reduce effort and improve accuracy. Structured documentation creates a transparent and comprehensive process.
Optima Pharma's resource monitoring, developed as part of the digitalization portfolio supports this effort. Intelligent sensor technology records, stores, and analyzes energy and media consumption including electricity, compressed air, or water while the machines are in use. This identifies and targets savings potentials and initiates targeted energy efficiency measures – important steps toward increased transparency and decarbonization in the use phase.
A calculated PCF provides valuable insights: It shows where emissions are generated and where there is potential for reduction. It also forms the basis for strategic decisions on materials, energy use, and process design.
For more information on the Product Carbon Footprint at Optima, please contact our Sustainability Management.
Learn more about other sustainability initiatives at Optima in our first Sustainability Report: The OPTIMA Sustainability Strategy - We care for tomorrow
